1935 National Chicle Football Cards

Product Details

Headlined by a rookie-filled checklist and head coach Knute Rockne, 1935 National Chicle Football remains a top option for vintage football collectors.

National Chicle was the name of a gum company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The same company released the Diamond Stars and Batter Up cards known to baseball collectors. The release is especially noteworthy given that 1935 National Chicle Football was the first nationally-released set to feature only football players.

1935 National Chicle Football Set Details

The 1935 National Chicle Football fronts feature an art deco design with a player in action. Backgrounds have various designs. Some players have field or stadium scenes behind them. Others have simulated game-action backgrounds. Others, still, have line designs or blank backgrounds. The player's name and a white border are all that adorn the classic cards.

Card backs are interesting. Rather than a player biography or a list of statistics, the cards are filled with tips for playing football by a former coach. At the top is a bold card number, with the tip underneath. The signature of Eddie Casey follows. The player's name and personal info run along the bottom of the card, along with a copyright line and the erroneous statement that there would be 240 cards in the set.

Instead of the large set, 1935 National Chicle Football stopped at 36 cards. The first 24 cards are more common than the last 12. Most of the players featured were professional, but exceptions appear. One was former Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne. In addition, Bronko Nagurski was shown in his Minnesota uniform but mentioned as a Chicago Bear on the back. There were eight teams in the NFL and three of them changed by the time another football set would appear: the Pittsburgh Pirates became the Steelers, the Boston Redskins moved to Washington, and the Brooklyn Dodgers ended up as the Indianapolis Colts after trips through a number of cities.

Of course, Rockne and Nagurski are the key cards to the set. All of the subjects in 1935 National Chicle Football—except for Rockne, who appeared in 1933 Sport Kings—are rookies. This includes Hall of Fame players Dutch Clark, Ken Strong, Cliff Battles, Turk Edwards and Clarke Hinkle.

Key 1935 National Chicle Football Cards:

• Bronko Nagurski RC #34
• Knute Rockne #9
• Bernie Masterson RC #36
• Dutch Clark RC #1
• Ken Strong RC #7